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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25409386">Staring At You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spark_Stark/pseuds/Spark_Stark'>Spark_Stark</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>To Bring You Back Home [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Criminal Minds (US TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Autistic Spencer Reid, Communication, Cute, Domestic Boyfriends, Feelings, Fluff, Happy Aaron Hotchner, Happy Spencer Reid, Healthy Relationships, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:13:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,467</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25409386</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spark_Stark/pseuds/Spark_Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Spencer and Aaron's relationship becomes a bit more serious as they talk about telling the team and Jack.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aaron Hotchner/Spencer Reid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>To Bring You Back Home [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1820395</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>347</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The flight back to Virginia was quiet. Ending on a high note was a relief that the team was in desperate need of. It was a calm flight home, Morgan and Rossi had murmured between themselves and then fallen asleep across from each other. Prentiss had skipped out on the conversation and headed straight to the couch to rest for the duration of the flight. JJ and Hotch had taken the four seats and the table to work through their reports so they could get home to spend the evening with their children. Reid would have started on his report but he wasn't in the mood for anything work related, choosing instead to read one of the books he brought with him.</p><p>Even with reading at a speed he considered leisurely, Reid still finished his book almost ninety minutes before they were due to arrive back in Virginia. He closed the book and packed it back into his messenger bag. Looking over at the two agents engrossed in paperwork and light conversation, glancing around the jet to see that nobody was paying any attention to him, Spencer made his way over to Hotch and JJ. </p><p>He dropped himself unceremoniously into the seat beside Hotch and leaned over to press a light kiss to the man's cheek. "Hey." He greeted his boyfriend quietly with a small smile on his face. </p><p>Hotch turned to look at him, slightly shocked. He glanced around the jet to assure himself that nobody had seen his boyfriend's display of affection and then let himself relax and smile softly at the younger man. "Hey." Aaron replied, turning back to his paper work, subtly glancing up to JJ across them. Her lips were pressed into a thin line but she didn't look angry or upset, she looked happy and somewhat surprised. </p><p>Spencer laid his head against Hotch's shoulder and smirked at JJ's facial expression. "A rare sight, isn't it?" He joked, referring to the subtle smile and blush that Hotch was wearing. JJ chuckled and nodded but said nothing, in case any of the team members could hear them. If they could only hear and not see the two agents' actions, the out of context conversation would give no indication of a romantic relationship between the unit chief and young genius. </p><p>After barely more than two minutes, Spencer found himself getting bored. He moved his hand so that he could hold Aaron's right hand under the table while he wrote with his left. Aaron was happy to let Spencer hold his hand, enjoying the warmth that skin to skin contact brought. He paused his writing to inspect his watch. He had planned to have Jack for the weekend. Haley would be dropping him off after dinner which was roughly two hours from now. </p><p>He had been contemplating asking Spencer if he wanted to meet Jack. Sure, he had met him before and they had gotten along well, Jack being a naturally curious kid he was thrilled to discover that Spencer knew the answer to all his questions. Hotch had laughed then, joking that the 'Reid Effect' must have faded. Jack liked Spencer in a polite, impersonal way. Aaron wanted Jack to like him in a personal way, he wanted Spencer to be apart of his full home life. But he was too scared to voice his opinion to Spencer, fearing a negative response. Because what would become of their relationship if Spencer admitted that he didn't want to be apart of Jack's life in a personal regard? Nobody was more important to Hotch than Jack. It had always been like that and it always would be like that in the future, but Spencer had become important to him too. </p><p>The last time he had chosen not to voice his thoughts with Spencer, it hadn't ended very well. They had promised to communicate. He wasn't willing to break that promise. </p><p>Aaron placed his pen down on the table and turned to look down at his inattentive partner lying against his side, when Spencer felt Hotch squeeze his hand he looked up to meet Aaron's gaze. "What are you doing tonight?" Aaron asked nervously. </p><p>Spencer's nose crinkled in confusion. "Nothing." He answered cautiously, sensing a follow-up question from the other man. </p><p>His senses were proven correctly when Aaron asked him if he would like to spend the evening at his apartment. JJ fought a smile off her face, cuteness was her weakness and the scene on front of her was indeed cute. 'If only Garcia could see this', she thought to herself as she refocused herself on her case report. </p><p>"You have Jack this weekend." Spencer sat up a little straighter to look at him evenly. Aaron nodded. "I don't want to intrude on your time with him. We could get called out and you mightn't be able to see him again for a few weeks." He explained politely. Hotch had expected this kind of answer, it was thoughtful of Spencer. Yes, he didn't know when the next time he'd get to see his son would be. But he didn't want to feel like he had to split his free time between his son and his partner, he wanted to spend it with both of them. Together. </p><p>Spencer noticed the signs that Aaron was having trouble voicing his thoughts. He did as Aaron had done for him when he was in this situation, he waited patiently. "I-I want to spend my free time with the two of you." He stammered nervously. </p><p>Aaron felt Spencer's arm run along his in a motion that mimicked the one Hotch had done to Spencer the day previous, hoping it would be as soothing to Aaron as it had been to him. He felt Aaron relax minutely. "I understand." He uttered. </p><p>The response surprised Hotch. "You do?" He asked disbelievingly. </p><p>Spencer laughed at the question and squeezed his hand. "I'd love to spend the evening with you and Jack. I'd like to get to know him better." He confided in a hushed tone, hoping that the rest of the team couldn't hear them. </p><p>Hotch's smile was wide and jubilant, teeth and dimples appearing in a way that gave Spencer butterflies in his stomach. "That would mean a lot to me." He whispered. </p><p>Spencer's responding smile was just as bright. He watched as Aaron looked over his shoulder and then leaned in to kiss Spencer softly. Spencer wanted to deepen the kiss but knew it was better not to, lest he want an audience soon. He pulled away after a few seconds of the gentle, chaste kiss and leaned back in his own seat. He ran his hand down Aaron's tie and smiled. "Finish your report, I don't want to see you doing paperwork this weekend." </p><p>They pulled away and left a respectable distance between them, minus their still connected hands resting on Aaron's leg under the table. Spencer took out his phone to see a plethora of notifications. (Mostly memes from Garcia and Prentiss) When he unlocked his phone he received a text message from the woman sitting across from him. </p><p>JJ (4.52pm)<br/>ok that was cute af</p><p>He looked up from his screen to his friend across the table, she was smiling happily at him. This was the approval he had desperately hoped for.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Spencer tapped the back of his hands together while he sat in the passenger seat of Hotch's car. Although Hotch was focused on the road, he noticed the tell-tale signs of Spencer's nervous stimming. He waited until they stopped at a red light to glance over at him, Spencer was staring out the window and his lips were moving silently. Hotch placed his hand on the back of Spencer's neck, knowing how it soothed the man. </p><p>He heard Spencer hum contently and the stimming subdued. The back of his hands were slightly red, Spencer had unknowingly been hitting his hands together quite harshly. "Tell me what you're thinking." Aaron pleaded, turning back to face the road as the light turned green. </p><p>It took a moment for the other man to respond, but Hotch waited patiently. "Are you going to tell Haley?" Spencer asked anxiously. </p><p>At first Hotch was confused, not understanding the question. Tell Haley what? He gazed over at Spencer's agitated stature and understood the question. "I had planned on it, yes."</p><p>"Tonight?"</p><p>He thought about his answer before he spoke. It had been in his mind to mention it to Haley when she dropped off Jack. Not a full discussion, but just disclose that he and Spencer were in a serious relationship and that he would also be with Jack tonight. Save the complex conversation for another day. "Sort of." </p><p>Spencer nodded thoughtfully but stayed silent, not knowing what to say. Not really knowing what to think either. It worried Hotch, the last thing he wanted was to make Spencer uncomfortable, but he believed him when he said that he wanted to meet Jack. </p><p>At Aaron's apartment, they took off their shoes and left their go bags by the door. Spencer wordlessly walked over to Aaron and leaned in to him, placed his hands on Aaron's chest and delicately began untying his tie and unbuttoning the top button of Aaron's shirt. Hotch said nothing but let Spencer pull the tie from under his collar, he reached out and ran his fingers softly through Spencer's short, wavy hair. </p><p>The younger man leaned in to kiss Aaron gently. Aaron smiled against Spencer's lips and pulled away marginally a few seconds later. "Talk to me." He whispered against Spencer's lips. </p><p>Spencer laid his head against Aaron's shoulder and breathed in the smell of his aftershave. "I'm just nervous about what Haley will think." He admitted. </p><p>Aaron brought one of his hands up to rest against the back of Spencer's neck and the other to the small of his back. "Let me take care of it." He murmured, burying his nose in Spencer's soft hair and taking in the smell of his cinnamon shampoo. </p><p>He felt Spencer nod against his shoulder and tighten his grip around Aaron's waist. "What did I ever do to deserve you?" He joked lovingly and released his grip on Hotch's body. </p><p>"I don't know but I am very grateful." He concluded, his mouth quirked up at the edges. </p><p>Spencer gave him a knowing look. "Just how grateful are we talking?" He trailed his fingers down the buttons of Aaron's shirt. </p><p>Hotch placed his hands on top of Spencer's and kept his voice low and levelled. "I can demonstrate later." He suggested. </p><p>There was a small but insistent knock on the door, which caused the two men to step away from each other, albeit reluctantly. Spencer gently pushed Aaron towards the door. "I will hold you to that later." He said. He heard Aaron laugh, followed by the sound of him unlocking the door. </p><p>"Daddy!" The sound of the excited young boy on the other side of the door fill the apartment. Spencer heard Hotch laugh and Jack's footsteps echoed through the hallway. When the young boy came into the living room and spotted Spencer in the middle of the space, his smile widened and he greeted him with a slight lisp making "Spencer" sound more like 'Spenthor.'</p><p>The young genius laughed nervously, "Hi, Jack." He greeted with a small wave. "How are you?" He asked politely. </p><p>Jack waddled over to the couch and jumped onto it, he began to gush about his day at school. "My friend, Ben, we played soldiers at lunch. Ben's mom is a soldier. She's a mar- I don't remember the word." </p><p>Spencer sat down beside Jack on the couch. "Marine. They're part of the Armed Forces and focus on operations abroad with the US Navy and sometimes the Air Force and Army." He explained. </p><p>Jack smiled and bounced on the couch to turn and face Spencer. "Do they carry guns like daddy?" He asked curiously. </p><p>The agent pursed his lips. "Um, yeah. Sort of." </p><p>"Do you carry a gun?" </p><p>Spencer bit his lip, his gun was still in his holster. Aaron would place it in his safe along with his two pieces when he finished talking to Haley at the door. He couldn't hear what they were talking about, but he knew it was about their relationship. He put the thought out of his head for the meantime and focused all his attention on the young boy on front of him. "Yeah, I do." He answered. </p><p>Jack leaned forward. "Can I see it?" </p><p>He debated the potential outcomes of the situation before he nodded. He lifted his cardigan up and pulled the handgun out of its holster, double checking that the safety was on even though he emptied the chambers after every case finished. He held it in his hands to let Jack look at it. "It looks different to daddy's." </p><p>"You dad's sidearm is a Glock 17. It's pretty standard for members of law enforcement in the States. This is a Smith and Wesson Model 13. It's less common but there are still law enforcement agencies in places like Texas and Oklahoma that use them." Jack ran his fingers over the engravings along the wooden grip of the revolver. "I prefer shiny guns." Spencer joked. </p><p>Jack laughed happily. "Me too!" Spencer felt himself relax when Jack wiggled excitedly on the couch. He put the gun back in his hip holster as Jack asked, "Why aren't all guns shiny?" He started to think about Aaron and Haley out in the hallway, probably talking about him, as his mind idly talked about the benefits of camouflage weapons. He felt relief rush over him when he heard Hotch say goodbye to Haley in a kind tone and the door shutting gently. He didn't want to think too optimistically, but it sounded like things had ended well.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hotch closed the door softly behind Haley as she left. He had informed her of his and Spencer's relationship, she was surprised, but mostly at the fact that Hotch would break professional boundaries with a co-workers. Although she didn't voice that opinion or the fact that she had always had a bit of a feeling that there was something between the two men. She didn't have to ask to know that Aaron had never made a move on Spencer while he was married, their marriage might have been falling apart, but Aaron was a loyal man who understood the contract that marriage implicated. </p><p>She was not upset like Hotch had expected. "Are you going to introduce him to Jack?" She questioned.</p><p>He nodded quietly, not making eye contact but instead looking over her shoulder out to the corridor of the apartment complex. She wasn't worried, Hotch had given him no reason to be. "I trust your judgement. I know you want what's best for Jack." It was true. Aaron would not introduce Spencer to Jack if he had even the slightest of concern about it. Their undivided devotion to Jack was the only reason that made their marriage last as long as it did. Aaron put his job before his marriage, but not before his son.</p><p>The conversation ended on a good note but with a silent agreement that things would need to be discussed further. Hotch was not the sort of person that dated for fun, he didn't do casual relationships. Haley had always known that, it had taken Aaron longer to figure that out for himself. (Specifically, it had taken a sex-only arrangement with Spencer to figure it out.) Although things were still in the early stages between Aaron and Spencer, both men saw the relationship going much further than where it was at the moment. They were allowing themselves to enjoy the 'honeymoon period' instead of rushing into anything.</p><p>Things would inevitably move into a more permanent scenario, and once that time came, himself and Haley would need to talk again. But for now, it was okay. </p><p>He composed himself before he turned into the apartment. When he stepped into the living room, he paused at the sight before him. Spencer and Jack were sitting cross legged on the couch facing each other. Jack was smiling and nodding along happily to what Spencer was explaining. "Shiny things emit light whereas my gun just reflects the light from the room, so in a dark room it wouldn't be as bright." </p><p>Hotch chose that moment to interrupt his two chatty boys on the couch. "Jack, I see you met Spencer." He said, walking further into the room. </p><p>Jack nodded happily. "He told me lots of things." He informed his father excitedly.</p><p>"That's great." Hotch said honestly, glad to see his son and boyfriend getting on well. The sight made his heart swell. "Did you wash your hands?" </p><p>Jack's eyes widened and he jumped off the couch. Having been distracted by the unexpected visitor, he had forgotten to. "I am now, I promise." He called out as he made his way quickly into the bathroom. Spencer smiled at the happy, boyish behaviour mixed with the adorable lisp of Jack as he ran down the hallway. </p><p>Spencer turned back to Hotch and stood up when he heard the slight squeak of the bathroom door opening. "Haley?" He asked quietly, making sure that Jack wouldn't overhear them.</p><p>"All good." Hotch said shortly, his face was carefully neutral. "Things seem to be getting off to a good start." He commented, referring to the scene he had walked in on. </p><p>The younger agent sighed. "He started asking about guns. I didn't know what to do but he seemed more interested about why my gun was shiny and yours wasn't." Aaron nodded, he found it to be a bit of a sensitive topic when it came to explaining his line of work to his young son. Exposing violence to a child never ended well in his experience. </p><p>"I guess it's an advantage that he cares more about the science behind shiny things than the gun itself." There was a certain tightness in his voice that made Spencer frown.</p><p>Jack came scampering into the room again, shoes in his hands. He placed his shoes beside Hotch and Spencer's before he made his way back to the spot on the couch he was sitting in previously. "Daddy, can we watch tv?" He asked politely. </p><p>Aaron agreed and picked up the remote to hand it to Jack. "Pick something you like, buddy. Spencer and I are going to go wash our hands." Jack began to read through the channels on the screen as Hotch guided Spencer into the kitchen. When he saw Hotch unclip his holster from his belt, he did the same and handed it over to Hotch to place them into his safe. Spencer moved to turn on the coffee machine and wash his hands in the kitchen sink as Hotch secured the three firearms and grabbed two mugs from the cupboard. </p><p>They moved around the space naturally and Hotch enjoyed the domesticity of it. "Jack's bedtime is eight pm, but on the weekends he likes to try stay up late. He usually falls asleep on the couch before nine." </p><p>Spencer watched as Aaron carefully measured out two teaspoons of sugar and added it to a mug of steaming coffee. He mixed it for a few seconds and placed it in Spencer's hands. Aaron had paid close attention to how Spencer liked his coffee so that he could surprise him with a cup ever now and then, similarly to how Spencer had observed Aaron's morning routine so he could make breakfast for him in the mornings. </p><p>"What time does he wake up?" </p><p>Hotch took his own mug and sipped at it, seemingly unaffected by the temperature. Spencer internally winced. "Seven am, like clockwork." This time his wince was much more visible, causing the other man to chuckle. </p><p>"He's just as bad as his father." Spencer muttered, not a morning person like Hotch, but allowed himself to be pulled closer by Aaron's arm around his waist. </p><p>Aaron placed a soft kiss on Spencer's temple and hummed. "It isn't too late to back out." He said quietly into Spencer's hair as he inhaled the cinnamon scent. </p><p>Spencer turned in his arms to face his boyfriend, looking him in the eyes as he said, "Never."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The cold air was like an electric jolt through the veins of Spencer's warm, sleeping body. The mattress shifted beside him as his partner unfolded himself from under Spencer and fought as the younger man tightened his grip around Hotch's waist. "Spencer." Aaron laughed, his voice still hoarse with sleep. </p><p>He didn't put much of a fight this time, loosening his grip and leaving a trail of open mouth kisses down Aaron's broad shoulder. He rolled back onto the bed as Hotch stood up and started to dress himself in his running attire. "Back in an hour, baby." He whispered and leaned over to kiss Spencer on the forehead. </p><p>Half an hour later, Spencer rose from the bed and trotted lazily into the kitchen, starting the coffee machine and pulling out a bowl to make Aaron's porridge. He didn't know what Jack liked for his breakfast so he decided to wait until he woke up himself and ask. The routine had become familiar to him after spending nights at Aaron's apartment. He remembered Aaron talking about how he made pancakes for Jack on Saturday mornings, he checked the cupboards for ingredients and chose to lay them out just in case Jack wanted them for his breakfast. </p><p>Just like Aaron had said the night before, at seven am Spencer heard the young boy's movement in his bedroom. A few moments later he made his way down the hallway into the kitchen and stopped just short of the doorway when he noticed the doctor sipping at a coffee mug while gazing out the window. "Spencer?" The young boy called out confused. </p><p>Spencer turned to face Jack. "Good morning, Jack." He greeted kindly. </p><p>The boy stepped into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. "Where's daddy?" Spencer looked down at his watch and was about to answer when he was interrupted by the front foor opening. Hotch kicked off his shoes by the door and moved into the apartment towards his son. Jack greeted him a good morning to which Hotch responded by ruffling the boy's short blonde hair affectionately. </p><p>Aaron turned to watch as Spencer placed his breakfast down on the kitchen table at his usual spot and smiled. "Good morning, darling." Aaron leaned in to kiss Spencer softly, tasting the coffee on his lips. When he pulled back his caught the sight of Spencer's red tinted cheeks and felt his smile grow wider. It was only a few days into their relationship when Hotch discovered that Spencer enjoyed being called by pet names, and Aaron enjoyed watching him fight off a smile and a blush. The words felt natural to both of them. </p><p>The older agent sat down at the table as Spencer placed a perfectly heated cup of coffee beside him and turned to Jack. "Your dad tells me you like pancakes on Saturday." He said suggestively and watched as Jack bounced excitedly in his seat, seemingly unaffected by the early hour. Like father like son.</p><p>"Can you make pancakes too, Spencer?" He asked, the adorable lisp tinging his words. </p><p>Spencer nodded and made his way over to the kitchen counter where he had the ingredients laid out and ready to use. He began pouring flour, milk and eggs into a large mixing bowl and humming to himself. "Are you guessing the measurements?" He heard his boyfriend's amused tone from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to give him an unimpressed look. </p><p>"Of course I am not." He said, as if the thought offended him. "I can measure in my head, y'know." </p><p>Aaron raised his eyebrows surprised. "I don't know why I hadn't thought of that." He chuckled and sipped from his mug. Jack watched the two men converse back and forth like it was a tennis match. When his father noticed his confused expression he asked, "Are you alright, Jack?"</p><p>Jack pouted his bottom lip and put his hands on the table. "Does Spencer live here?" </p><p>The two men looked at him and smiled at his confused state. "No, he doesn't." Hotch answered. "Sometimes he likes to stay over. And sometimes I stay at his house." He explained slowly and prepared himself for the inevitable follow up questions. </p><p>There were four seconds of complete silence in the apartment before Jack spoke up again. "Why?"</p><p>Spencer chuckled but said nothing, pretending he was fully preoccupied with the pancake making procedure. He felt Aaron's eyes on the back of his head but didn't turn around, instead he started to hum softly. He could almost hear Hotch pushing his lips together in a thin line. "Because we like to spend time together." Aaron clarified, amusement clear in his voice. </p><p>Jack's facial expression softened as he began to understand. "Because you friends!" He exclaimed happily, as if he had answered the million dollar question. </p><p>Aaron was unable to resist laughing at the adorable reaction of his son. He knew that eventually he would grow out of the lisp, but he found it so endearing that part of him wished he wouldn't. "We are, but we are also a bit more than friends." He said, thinking back to his conversation with Haley the night before about how he would explain his relationship with Spencer to Jack. </p><p>The parents had agreed that they would wait until Jack brought it up to discuss it. They would absolutely not lie to him in any way, which was the bottom line that they had established. If Jack had questions about Hotch's sexual orientation, (probably worded in more of a six year old's vocabulary.) then they would be honest and answer everything. It had barely been twelve hours, but the curious boy had begun query.</p><p>"And that's why you kissed." Jack said without hesitation, seemingly more comprehensive than Aaron had expected. </p><p>But then again, Jack did seem very mature for his age, both intellectually and emotionally. "Yes." Hotch clarified. </p><p>The young boy appeared satisfied by the answers he had been given by his father and settled down to wait patiently as Spencer finished making a small stack of pancakes. When Spencer sat down with Jack's and his own plate, he wasted no time picking up his fork and biting into them, causing his father to laugh and tell his he should probably cut them into smaller pieces. </p><p>A few bites later, Jack perked up again. "Is Spencer staying all weekend?" He asked, looking at his dad. </p><p>The two agents had discussed it after Jack had gone to bed last night. Spencer was going home after breakfast to work on a paper for his philosophy degree. "No, he will be leaving in about an hour."</p><p>Jack's smile disappeared and he looked between the two men across from his sadly. "But what if I have more questions!" He exclaimed, dropping his cutlery on the table. </p><p>The statement surprised the couple and Hotch looked at his son's worried expression and began to chuckle. Spencer looked between his boyfriend and the child before he spoke up. "How about this," He proposed, placing down his own cutlery and leaning across the table to look Jack in the eye. "If you have any questions you want to ask me, you can call me." </p><p>Jack's bright smile returned as he nodded eagerly. He surprised Spencer when he leaned forward and threw his arms over Spencer's shoulders. "I will ask daddy to call when I have questions." Spencer stilled in his seat before his mind eventually caught up to him and he put his arms, albeit awkwardly, around the younger boy. </p><p>He let go a second later when he felt Jack loosen his grip and looked at Aaron out the corner of his eye. The unit chief's smile was the widest Spencer had seen it... potentially ever. He turned his focus back to the boy. "Maybe don't ask to call too often. What if you write down all your questions if you can't call and the next time I'm here, I can answer them." He suggested. </p><p>"Next time?" Jack repeated. "When I'm with daddy, you will be here?" He asked hopefully. </p><p>Spencer's smile widened to a degree that almost matched Aaron's. "Yes, I will be here." He promised.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Two hours into his morning, Rossi knocked on Hotch's door. He called out to the agent on the other side of the door and closed the file on his desk when he observed the look on his friend's face. "Dave, what can I do for you?" He asked kindly.</p><p>Dave stepped into the office and made himself comfortable in the seat across from Hotch's desk. He crossed his legs and clasped his hands together over his knee. "How are you, Aaron?" </p><p>The weekend had Hotch running on an unflappable high. Thinking back to Friday night, Jack and Spencer chattering together on the couch while watching the television, carrying Jack to bed and then returning to the living room to see Spencer with a seductive smirk on his face. Followed by Saturday morning, coming home from his early run to Spencer making breakfast for himself and Jack, the happy acceptance of his son when he explained his relationship with Spencer to him, watching Jack hug Spencer tightly as he left after breakfast as Spencer promised he'd see him again soon.</p><p>It was everything Hotch could have hoped for. "I'm doing really well." He answered honestly. </p><p>Dave raised an eyebrow and studied the man for a minute. "And who is responsible for that?" He theorised. </p><p>Hotch let himself smile and he leaned back in his seat. Dave was calm and relaxed across from him, giving him the ideal situation to come clean about his relationship with the highest probability of a positive outcome. (Spencer's words.) "I have been seeing somebody." He admitted shyly. </p><p>"The same somebody from... before?" The older man questioned. </p><p>The unit chief nodded bashfully. "We've worked things out." He said. </p><p>"I can see that." He replied with a chuckle. When Hotch didn't respond, Dave motioned for him to continue. "Does this person have a name?" He prompted. </p><p>He took a deep breathe before he replied, uncharacteristically nervous, "Spencer." </p><p>There was no immediate reaction like Hotch had expected. He looked up at his friend across the desk from him and studied his posture, but it had not changed at his reply. "Where did you meet this Spencer?" He asked curiously. </p><p>It all made sense now. Of course Dave wouldn't connect Hotch's new boyfriend Spencer to their colleague Doctor Spencer Reid. Like Haley, who had been so disbelieving she had to look into the apartment to make sure that Hotch was not joking with her. The silence was palpable, it was almost funny how one of the world's best profilers was sitting across from him and yet he couldn't connect the two dots that were right on front of him.</p><p>He was in a good mood, he went along with the questioning. "In Quantico." He answered flatly, not letting his amusement show. </p><p>"So he works for the bureau?" Dave asked. Hotch nodded. "What department?"</p><p>This was it. If Rossi didn't figure it out after this, Hotch would have to genuinely call his colleague's investigative abilities into question. "The, um. The B.A.U." If Hotch was less anxious about the situation, he'd probably be laughing at Rossi's expression. </p><p>His mouth opened and closed but didn't say anything. Dave looked out the window of the office to the bullpen, openly staring at Spencer. Hotch bit his lip and leaned forward in his chair. Eventually, Rossi spoke up. "You have got to be shitting me." </p><p>Hotch inhaled sharply but relaxed when he heard Rossi start to laugh, looking up from the desk where his eyes had fallen to see his friend's shoulders shaking with laughter. He wasn't sure why Dave was laughing, but it seemed harmless and felt relief seep from his shoulders because of it. Rossi pointed out the window to where Reid was sitting at his desk sifting through papers. "You're trying to tell me you listen to the kid talk all day and then you spend time with him after hours to listen to him talk more?" Rossi asked disbelieving. "Are you insane?" He laughed. </p><p>Rossi watched as Hotch's posture became defensive and he crossed his arms over his chest. "I enjoy listening to Spencer." He justified evenly. </p><p>The older agent lifted his hands up and shook his head. "I didn't mean anything by it." He said apologetically and paused for a few moments to gather his thoughts. "I just... definitely hadn't expected you and Reid. He doesn't really seem like your type at all. I mean, I had my suspicions about your sexual 'thing', but I thought you let go of that and moved on. You two seem to be making it work though." Dave admitted.</p><p>"I'm happy." Hotch confessed, following Dave's line of sight to his boyfriend out in the bullpen and felt a smile cross his face. Spencer must have felt the two older agents staring at him, because he looked up from his desk to the window. He saw Hotch's smile and matched it with his own, probably predicting what the two men were talking about. Spencer was the first to break eye contact from across the room, looking down at his desk and refocusing on his work. </p><p>"He seems happy too." Dave mused. </p><p>Hotch nodded and reopened the file on his desk. "We are." He confessed softly.</p><p>Dave stood up from the seat across the desk and leaned over to pat Hotch on the shoulder. "I'm happy for you." He smiled. "Both of you." Rossi saw himself out of Hotch's office, closing the door delicately behind him. Hotch's smile remained on his face for the rest of the day, it had been awhile since he had felt himself smile this much in the one day. Between Dave and JJ's reactions, it seemed like things would go over well with the rest on the team on a personal level. However there was a small bit of worry about Dave's professional opinion, like Hotch and Spencer had discussed, he would likely keep those thoughts to himself.</p><p>Or perhaps Rossi just felt that the professional side of the conversation was best left to another day.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On Wednesday morning Hotch's office phone rang. After hanging up twenty minutes later, he called Rossi and Strauss to organise a meeting. When the two senior agents made their way into the unit chief's office, the attention of all the profilers turned to Hotch's office. JJ, Reid, Morgan and Prentiss sat around Morgan's desk and began to theorise what could cause such an urgent need for a meeting. </p><p>Reid and JJ shared a worried glance, both thinking the worst. </p><p>There wasn't much work to do anyways, the agents allowed themselves to sit in tense anticipation for forty five minutes, only occasionally getting up to refill their mugs. It was over an hour before Strauss and Rossi left Hotch's office, the agents in the bullpen didn't try to hide their curiosity as the two superiors looked disapprovingly at the group. Their attention redrawn to their unit chief. </p><p>Hotch rubbed at his temples, feeling an oncoming headache caused by the information he was forced to process. He needed coffee. Spencer must have read his mind, because he received a text message only thirty seconds later.</p><p>Spencer (10.14am)<br/>coffee? </p><p>Aaron (10.14am)<br/>Yes, please. </p><p>Reid was already in the break room when Hotch replied to his text. He filled up a cup with black coffee and headed straight to Hotch's office. He didn't bother knocking, knowing Hotch was expecting him. "Hey." He said softly. </p><p>"Hey." Aaron replied, looking up and smiling softly at Spencer as he laid the cup down on his desk. "Thank you." </p><p>Spencer ran his hand down Hotch's arm and sat down on the edge of the desk, blocking the agents' view of them through the window. "Are you okay?" He asked gently. </p><p>Hotch sipped the steaming drink. "No, I'm not." He admitted, rubbing his forehead and sighing. "I'll explain in a few minutes. I just need a few minutes to..." His voice trailed off but Spencer understood. He nodded and reached out to take Aaron's hand in his. </p><p>A couple mouthfuls later, Hotch squeezed his partner's hand and leaned back in his chair. "Feeling better?" Spencer asked, smiling when Hotch nodded. </p><p>"Can you call Prentiss in? I need to talk to both of you." Spencer let go of his hand and stood up from the edge of the desk. He did as Hotch asked and walked down to the bullpen to quietly ask Emily to follow him back up to their unit chief's office.</p><p>She asked what was happening, but Spencer honestly didn't know. They sat down across from Hotch at the desk when he instructed them to do so, his gentle demeanour from minutes ago erased and exchanged for his stoic manner. </p><p>They both sat and looked expectantly at Hotch as he opened a case file. He pushed the file towards the two agents and leaned back in his chair. "I received a call this morning from an old friend in Paris. The D.C.R.I had formally requested assistance on the interrogation of a terrorist cell operating out of the city. They have four of the members in custody, but they aren't saying much. The D.C.R.I thinks that maybe some of this team's profilers could get something out of them."</p><p>Prentiss nodded, her face carefully neutral. Reid, on the other hand, looked confused and apprehensive. "I have spoken with Rossi and Strauss. We've decided that you two are the best qualified for the case. You are both fluent in French, Prentiss specialises in terrorism, Reid is an expert in psychology and behaviour. It was a clear choice."</p><p>Emily handed the file to Spencer, who read it quickly. "You will be leaving tomorrow morning and returning on Sunday." Hotch motioned towards the case file. "Everything you need to know before you get to Paris is in there."</p><p>There was a tense silence in the room as the two agents absorbed the information. Prentiss spoke first. "Is that all, sir?" </p><p>"Yes, for now. If I receive any additional information, you will be the first to know. Do either of you have any questions?" His voice softened from it's usual professionalism. </p><p>Reid pursed his lips into a thin line and shook his head. Prentiss verbalised her support. "No, sir."</p><p>The unit chief nodded and stood up, walking around the desk towards the door. The two agents stood up and followed Hotch to the exit. "I'll talk to you both before you leave tomorrow. Any questions, please come to me." He said politely as he opened the door. </p><p>Prentiss and Reid made their way out of the office and said their thank yous. Reid felt Hotch's fleeting touch on his arm and he smiled at his boss before Hotch stepped back into his office and closed the door behind them. The pair walked down to the bullpen together conversing. "Ever been to Paris, Reid?" Emily asked excitedly. </p><p>Spencer shook his head. "No, I've always wanted to go. My mom is going to be thrilled when I tell her." </p><p>Emily looked over and smiled at the young man. "We'll take pictures at the Eiffel Tower." She suggested. They laughed together and sat back down at their desks. </p><p>The other agents were quick to gather around their desks with a wealth of questions. "Reid and I are going on a road trip to Paris tomorrow." She informed them. </p><p>"A consultation?" JJ asked. </p><p>Reid shook his head and bounced in his seat. "Interrogating a terrorist cell." </p><p>Morgan pushed Spencer on the shoulder and sat down on the edge of his desk. "Get out of here. Are you serious?" He asked, the shock clear on his face. "You two must be in the F.B.I good books to get that gig." Reid and JJ made eye contact and she winked at him. He tried to distract the others from the rapid rising blush on his cheeks by talking about the connections between the F.B.I and D.C.R.I until Morgan and JJ stepped away from him. </p><p>At times like these, his knowledge was a blessing in disguise. </p><p>Spencer felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, already knowing that the text was from Hotch. </p><p>Aaron (10.37am)<br/>Spend the night at mine? </p><p>Spencer (10.37am)<br/>of course</p><p>Aaron (10.39am)<br/>We should talk about the case.</p><p>Spencer (10.40am)<br/>yes</p><p>Spencer (10.41am)<br/>but also sex, right?</p><p>Aaron (10.41am)<br/>Dr. Reid, it isn't very like you to assume things...</p><p>Spencer (10.42am)<br/>is it an assumption if i know i'm right?</p><p>Aaron (10.45am)<br/>Get back to work, agent.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"What do you want for dinner, love?" Aaron asked as he shut and locked the apartment door.</p><p>Spencer hummed and placed his bag and shoes against the wall. "Pizza?" He suggested.</p><p>Hotch's expression was soft and warm. "Anything you want." He said honestly. Aaron wanted to spoil his boy before he left, knowing he wouldn't be able to treat Spencer to soft touches and lunch dates during their working hours like he knew Spencer loved.</p><p>"Anything?" Spencer turned to his partner and smirked, ran his hand down Aaron's tie and tugged on the end of it. </p><p>Aaron let himself be pulled towards Spencer. "Don't get too ahead of yourself." He smirked despite his words.</p><p>He raised an eyebrow. "That's a yes then." Spencer put his arms around Aaron's shoulders and pulled him in to kiss him long and passionately. Aaron laughed against Spencer's mouth but let himself melt into the kiss. </p><p>Hotch broke off the kiss first but didn't stray too far from Spencer. "Go get cleaned up while I order." He let his hands trail away from Spencer's hips as the younger man stepped back, taking his sidearm from the holster as he went. Spencer nodded and walked to the bedroom to change into one of Hotch's cotton t-shirts (Being a typical alpha male, Spencer knew he liked it when he wore Aaron's clothes. Marking him as his own.) and pyjama bottoms. He left his phone on the nightstand and dry swallowed his medication. </p><p>He walked back out to the front of the apartment where Hotch was sitting on the couch. Spencer walked over to the couch and let Aaron pull himself him onto his lap. "Are you comfortable, baby?" Aaron whispered softly as he ran his fingers through Spencer's brown curls. Noticing Spencer's sleep attire and smirking, despite his soft voice and gestures.</p><p>Spencer blushed and put his head on Aaron's chest, stripped of the tie and suit jacket. "Yes." He answered, settling into the man's lap. </p><p>Hotch smiled down at Spencer and watched as the younger agent began to nimbly unbutton Aaron's shirt. He could see Spencer mouthing words to himself but couldn't make out what he was saying. Spencer always did that when their was something on his mind. "Tell me what you're thinking." Aaron said encouragingly.</p><p>He nuzzled his head into Aaron's neck and breathed in the familiar smell of his aftershave. "Gonna miss you." He mumbled, still toying with the buttons of Hotch's shirt. </p><p>"I will miss you too." Aaron confessed, placing his large hands over Spencer's. They fell into a smooth silence as they sat, just listening to the other's breathing.</p><p>Spencer was the first to speak again, soft and hushed. "Funny, isn't it?" He murmured. </p><p>Hotch was pulled from his daydream. "What's that?" He asked, his mind hazy from the pleasant calmness of the moment.</p><p>"We see each other five, six days a week. But I don't know how I'm going to manage being away from you for four." Spencer said, completely honest. It had been over a month since that faithful night, the two men staring at each other, blurred from their tears of raw emotion that they had never let themselves feel as they confessed their love to each other. It seemed so obscure to both of them now. One month, two weeks and five days later. The two men didn't know anything other than complete honesty when it came to their relationship.</p><p>In their line of work, they were living on borrowed time. They had spent too much of that time lying to themselves and to each other, they couldn't go on like that for any more time then they already had. They learned from their mistakes, and it had landed them both in a happy and healthy relationship. "I'll call you every time I have a free moment." Hotch promised.</p><p>"I know you will."</p><p>There was a knock on the apartment door. Aaron lifted Spencer up and placed him back down on the couch as he went to answer the door.</p><p>As soon as Hotch returned himself to the couch and placed the pizza box on the table, Spencer was back in his lap. </p><p>"Are you excited?" Aaron questioned as he opened the box and offered Spencer the first slice. </p><p>Spencer nodded enthusiastically through his bites. "Emily sent me a list of things we can do while we're there." He said excitedly. "After the case of course." Aaron laughed quietly as he began to eat.</p><p>Like Hotch had said earlier on in the day, it was a pretty standard request. The only main difference being the country. Most of their foreign consults were done through paperwork or over the phone. The furthest Spencer has gone on a case since joining the B.A.U was Mexico. The workload was very manageable and four days was quite generous of a deadline. The two profilers hoped to finish on the second day and enjoy their two final days sightseeing and taking a well needed vacation. </p><p>"Would it be okay with you if I sent Jack a postcard?" Spencer asked timidly. "I know him and I haven't-"</p><p>"He would love that." Aaron said, his voice full of certainty and trust. He kissed Spencer softly on his temple and closed his eyes.</p><p>They ate three more slices between them before they decided they were both full. Spencer took the almost empty pizza box from Aaron's hands and threw it onto the coffee table, he slung his arms around Aaron's shoulders and kissed him hard and bruising. Aaron was taken aback in shock but quickly recovered, gripping on to Spencer's hips and pulling him to straddle his legs. </p><p>Spencer squeezed his legs tightly and grind his hips against Aaron's. Spencer's mouth went from Aaron's lips to his neck, sucking and biting the exposed skin. He heard Aaron swear quietly before it turned into a moan, feeling Spencer smirk against the overly-sensitive skin. He pushed Spencer off his lap and stood up with him. Neither man said anything as they made their way into Hotch's bedroom. </p><p>Aaron's shirt and vest were hastily pushed off his shoulders and Spencer dragged his blunt nail's down his toned chest making Aaron shudder in pleasure.</p><p>Spencer took control once they were in the bedroom. He pushed Aaron down onto the centre of the bed and pulled the t-shirt he was wearing over his head, hearing Aaron take a shuddering breath spurred him on and he continued to strip down until he was completely naked and standing before Aaron at the foot of the bed. When Aaron reached to unbuckle his belt, Spencer spoke. "Stop." He commanded, his voice hoarse with lust. </p><p>Aaron's hand stilled. Spencer climbed on to the bed and Aaron opened his legs, making room for Spencer between them. He took Aaron's hand that was resting against his belt and lifted it above the man's head, he did the same with Aaron's other hand. Spencer ran his hands down the red nail scratches that trailed down the skin he had made minutes prior.</p><p>He unbuckled Aaron's belt and pulled down his suit trousers and underwear down in one swift, practised motion. The two men toed their socks off as Spencer reached into the bedside drawer. His other hand drifted closer to Aaron's cock until his hand was firmly wrapped around it. Aaron's moan was breathy and desperate as he tried to push his hips up into Spencer's hand in search of friction. Spencer pushed down against him and leaned in to whisper in his ear. </p><p>"You stay still tonight." He instructed, uncapping the lid on the bottle of lube and slicking up his own fingers. "I'm going to stretch myself with my fingers and ride you until you come inside me." Spencer purred and kissed his way from Aaron's neck to his shoulder. </p><p>Aaron moaned loudly at the words and clenched his hands into fists above his head. "I... fuck, Spencer. I love you."</p><p>"I love you too, Aaron."</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>tw// mentions of terrorism and minor character death.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The police reports said that teams had been staking out the cell’s hideout for two months before they had gathered enough intel to move in and arrest them. All four had gone peacefully, which was a sign of concern for such a notorious organisation. </p><p>Then they had refused to have lawyers present during their interrogations. Now they were suspicious. Of course it had been seen before, but in their experience it was usually narcissistic unsubs convinced they could outsmart the police. Prentiss and Reid had been studying interrogation tactics during the plane ride and prepared themselves for every possible outcome.</p><p>Almost every possible outcome.</p><p>One member had opened up to Reid after only half an hour of conversation. He was younger than the others and his school records from three years ago showed that he was a bright young man. He didn’t seem like the overtly politically motivated bomber, and as Reid had theorised, he admitted he was recruited because of his brains with the promise of financial security. </p><p>His name was Maxime Rousseau, and ten minutes after Reid had sat down at the table, he insisted on being referred to as Max. </p><p>“My baby brother is sick, you see. The doctors say with the right help he will live a full life.” He began softly. Reid was still on full alert, well aware that this could easily be a trick. Despite the way Max’s body had relaxed once he realised that Reid was not here to brutally abuse him into admission. </p><p>Prentiss watched on from behind the two way glass. Silently impressed at how Reid had gotten the prisoner to open up by finding common ground. They had both studied chemistry at M.I.T. in their late teens and despite loving their studies, they missed their family greatly during their time there. </p><p>Reid had played on that vulnerability, using Max’s family as leverage in the interrogation. Asking if his mother would be proud of him, if she knew what he was involved in.</p><p>“But you can’t afford the right help.” Reid suspected. </p><p>Max nodded sadly as he continued the story. “I gave them a demonstration of what I could do, they promised they would take care of him. His name is Leon, he has seizures. They helped get him treatment.” He admitted.</p><p>Of course Prentiss had called Garcia straight away to check the story, the technical analyst confirmed that an anonymous donor had paid for Leon’s full treatment and the child seemed to be living a happy, healthy life for the past three years. She retold the details to Spencer through the earpiece. </p><p>“Why didn’t you leave? After your brother became healthy, why did you stay with them?” Reid asked. </p><p>There was an almost pitiful laugh from Max. “I did leave. A month later I had to bury my uncle.” He confessed painfully.</p><p>“They murdered him?” It was phrased as a question, but they both knew the answer before he had even asked.</p><p>Max looked up across the table to him. “They said I would regret leaving. But I don’t regret leaving, I regret joining in the first place.” He searched for all the verbal and non-verbal signs, but it didn’t take a genius to know that Max was telling the full truth. Like he said, he had nothing left to hide. He would never see the outside of a prison cell ever again. At least he was being given a chance to clear his conscience. </p><p>“You were only seventeen, Max. You can plea emotional blackmail, consider getting a lawyer.” Reid suggested. </p><p>But the boy shook his head. “What difference does it make? If I get out of here in fifteen years, they will come after me. They will do to my mama and Leon what they did to my uncle. I escape with my life, but at what cost? My entire family?” Max’s voice was upset and resigned. </p><p>Spencer leaned forward and looked into Max’s eyes, making sure the young man knew he was telling the complete truth. “If you tell me about the next bomb, I can do everything in my power to make sure your family is protected.” </p><p>He watched as tears formed in Max’s eyes. “Thank you, Agent Reid.” He said through the thick cloud of emotion in his voice. “For treating me like a human being.” </p><p>Spencer understood what he was saying. For years he had seen men and women being beaten physically, emotionally, psychologically, as if the handcuffs around their wrists made them less of a person. As if it justified how they were treated. </p><p>Not all criminals are good people, no. Most of them are not. But there are many who are simply misunderstood in some ways. At the B.A.U, the agents saw both types of people commonly. Max was no different. He did bad things, yes. There was no denying it, but the young man had come to terms with that. He was empathetic and apologetic and willing to take whatever punishment he was given. </p><p>He knew there was no way to reverse what he had done. Spencer only hoped that he would start his journey to redemption here, in the small, dull room sitting across from him. He could stop more people from getting hurt. </p><p>“Promise me, you will do what you can to keep my family safe.” Spencer appreciated the phrasing. He couldn’t promise to keep his family safe, there was no guarantee. But knowing that Max understood that and wouldn’t hold it against him, it made a big difference. It made it easier for Spencer to promise. </p><p>“I promise I will exhaust every contact I have to make sure they are looked after.” </p><p>Max nodded and reached into the sleeve of his orange jumpsuit. He pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper and placed it on the table for Spencer to pick up. On the top of the page, the word ‘Mama’ was written. He looked up at Reid through the tears in his eyes. “This building. Forty minutes.” </p><p>Spencer watched as Max clenched his jaw and foam started to spill from his lips. He shouted for help and leaped out of his chair, desperately trying to save the young man. He knew it was too late, though. </p><p>He felt Prentiss pull him back by his shoulders. He hadn’t even noticed the other people entering the room. “Reid, there’s a bomb. We need to get everybody out of here.” She instructed, trying to snap him out of his frantic state of mind. “Reid! We need to go!”</p><p>Prentiss pulled him out of the room when he loosened his grip on Max. He leaned against the wall outside the interrogation room and tried to focus on the words Emily was telling him. “We need to evacuate the building.” </p><p>Spencer’s mind went from zero to sixty in half a second. “No!” He said desperately. “If the other three find out that Max blew the whistle on them, they’ll send people after his family and probably kill themselves too. We need to do this calmly.” He explained as more agents gathered around them. </p><p>The lead agent stepped forward. “What do you suggest we do, Doctor?” </p><p>Reid started to stim with his hands as he processed the situation. “We need to get the other three out. We can’t let them know we know about the bomb. Tell them they’re being transferred.” He stated. The agent nodded and appointed men to do as Reid had said.</p><p>“Once they’re out we can start to evacuate the other prisoners. Are there any employees you can start to clear out now? Doctors and nurses?” Spencer asked hurriedly. </p><p>The agent nodded again. “We have people that aren’t essential to assist in the evacuation.” </p><p>Spencer started walking down the hallway towards the security office where they had handed over their guns and credentials earlier. “Get them out. Has a bomb squad been called?” He was being given command of the situation and it terrified him half to death. He tried to calm himself by thinking what would Hotch or Rossi do in a scenario like this. </p><p>“As soon as the prisoner said it, but they won’t be here for another twenty minutes.” The prisoner, even after the agent had sat and watched their interrogation, he was Max as nothing more than a terrorist. Even when he had tried to help them. </p><p>Their weapons and credentials were slid across the counter to Prentiss and Reid. He clipped his holster onto his belt and turned to the group of six agents waiting for his next instruction. “That won’t leave enough time for search and disarm. We need to find the device. Do you have blueprints or maps of the building?” The security officer on the other side of the counter rushed to a filing cabinet and returned with a large map. </p><p>The doctor pulled a sharpie from his pocket and started to scan the map. “The devices from the previous attacks were complex and required manual arming, which means Max would have to be the last one with it. What rooms did he have access to since being detained here?” </p><p>“His cell was in GenPop, number 114.” The corrections officer in the group leaned in and pointed to the cell on the map. “He only had access to the library and the canteen.” Spencer marked the three locations and traced the paths from each marker to the next. </p><p>Prentiss spoke up next. “He was genuinely apologetic. I don’t think he wants to kill any more people.” She suggested. The majority of the group didn’t understand what she was implying, but Reid did. </p><p>He nodded and circled an area on the map. “He wants us to find it.”</p><p>“He probably tried to hint at it during the interrogation.” She proposed. Spencer turned to her and looked at her like she had just revealed the meaning of life. She didn’t understand why at first, but then it hit her. “The Sunny to my Holden.” She recited the words Max had said to Spencer earlier, after they had bonded about their shared experience at M.I.T.</p><p>Spencer’s feet were moving before he had even completely comprehended what Emily was telling him.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Garcia came running into the bullpen with her personal laptop shouting worriedly for the team’s attention. “Guys!” She wailed repeatedly, typing frantically no her keyboard before her display was uplinked to the large screens on the walls of the office. </p><p>Morgan rushed up to the screen. “That’s- No… Garcia, is this live?” He asked, tumbling over his words. Rossi stepped out of his office as he heard the commotion of agents. </p><p>“What’s going on?” He took one look at the screens and rushed to Hotch’s office, not bothering to knock as he flung the door open and startled the unit chief. “You need to see this, Aaron.”</p><p>Despite the confusion, Hotch followed Rossi quickly down to the gathering group by the largest of the screens in the room. There was a news report streaming from a French station, he didn’t know what it said as it was not in English. “Garcia, what’s this?” He asked baffled. </p><p>The initials F.B.I and D.C.R.I were part of the sentenced scrolling along the highlighted banner on the bottom of the screen. When realisation struck, it stung and left him breathless. “Spencer…” He croaked. </p><p>JJ turned to him, watching the infamous emotionless man hold back tears and mask his expression. Garcia translated what was on the screen into English. An explosion inside the prison on the outskirts of Paris, bomb squad and emergency services were on the scene. There was no more information available, no numbers of those injured or dead. </p><p>All Hotch could think of was Colorado. It was like déjà vu, the team watching disaster unfold before them on a screen. Reid and Prentiss’ fate unknown. </p><p>But it was more than that this time. It wasn’t just Reid, it was Spencer. His boyfriend, the man he was in love with. He needed to act, say something to reassure the team, give an order. </p><p>He couldn’t manage any words, he starred at the screen wordlessly. He could barely see the screen, everything was blurry and he couldn’t breathe. “Hotch and I are going to find out everything we can.” He felt Rossi push him softly towards his office. </p><p>JJ was typing hectically on her phone. She motioned to Rossi’s office and held up the mobile, silently asking for permission to use his office to make a call. He nodded as he guided Hotch back to his office. </p><p>Rossi closed the door behind them as they stepped into the unit chief’s office. It was much quieter and calmer than out in the bullpen. Hotch sat himself down in his chair and ran his hands through his hair, he hadn’t said anything besides mumbling Spencer’s name. </p><p>“Come on, Aaron. Breathe.” Rossi coaxed, crouching down to be eye level with him and placing his hand gently on Hotch’s shoulder. “Breathe with me.” He instructed, demonstrating his exaggerated breaths in an attempt to get the other man to copy him. </p><p>It took almost five minutes, but eventually Hotch’s erratic breathing had subsuded enough for him to form more coherent sentences. “It’s like the Cyrus cult all over again.” He whimpered. </p><p>Rossi pulled his friend into a strong embrace and let him cry against his shoulder. “And the kid made it out in the end.” He tried to comfort Hotch, but his own worry slipped through. </p><p>JJ knocked on the office door and the two men pulled away from the embrace as Hotch called her in. She had a ghost of a smile on her face and was holding her phone in her hand. “Sir, I just got off the phone with Unit Chief Jack Garrett. One of the men Reid and Prentiss were interviewing holds dual American-French citizenship. The I.R.T has been called out to Paris from Quantico, they have requested your assistance.”</p><p>Hotch furrowed his eyebrows as he wiped away his tears. “The situation doesn’t seem like it would fall on the I.R.T.’s radar…” He speculated. </p><p>Rossi held up his hands on front of Hotch. “Aaron, ignore the technicalities for once in your life.” He begged. “Go to Paris and bring your man home safe.” He said, leaning down to take his go bag from under his desk and pushed it into Hotch’s hands. </p><p>He looked between Rossi and JJ, feeling completely lost and overwhelmed. JJ stepped forward and placed her hand on Hotch’s arm. “I’ll walk you down to the parking lot, they’re waiting for you.” She said, using her light grip to encourage Hotch towards the door of his office. He nodded and followed her down the stairs and towards the elevator. </p><p>“JJ, you shouldn’t ha-“</p><p>“Hotch, please stop.” She said delicately but her tone left no room for debate. “I talked to Strauss, everything is fine.” She hadn’t talked to Strauss yet, but if she told Hotch that now, he would refuse to go despite how much he wanted to –needed to- make sure that Spencer was okay. <br/>They stepped into the elevator and she pressed the button for the first floor. “You have been cleared for immediate take off and priority landing upon arrival. You will be at the scene in just over five hours from now.” </p><p>She didn’t say ‘crime scene’, in their line of work crime scene almost always meant dead bodies. She needed him to operate under the assumption that Spencer was alive and well, she needed herself to operate under those assumptions. They made their way out to the parking lot where the I.R.T agents were waiting for Hotch beside two black SUV’s. </p><p>SSA Jack Garrett was more than understanding when JJ had called him and explained that two of their agents were at the explosion in Paris. She and Jack had pulled strings to get permission to fly out and assist the D.C.R.I. and bring Hotch along. He could relate to what Hotch was feeling as a unit chief, needing to know that his team was okay. </p><p>No, JJ hadn’t told him about Hotch and Spencer’s relationship. It wasn’t her place to share that sort of personal information. In Jack’s eyes, it was purely worry and anxiety on a level of colleague and close friend.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
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    <p>They could feel the heat of the explosion surrounding them as they approached the prison building, engulfed in orange flames and thick smoke. Aaron’s heart fell to his stomach as he watched the bright lights of the emergency services illuminate the night sky. </p><p>The car had barely stopped on the tarmac before Hotch tried to get out of it. Jack grabbed his by the arm and pointed to one of the ambulances, Prentiss was sitting in the open back with an oxygen mask held to her mouth. </p><p>He didn’t let go until he saw Hotch take a deep breath and relax. Hotch opened the door of the vehicle and jogged over to Emily as the I.R.T. agents dispersed around the scene. She looked up when he called out to her and pulled the mask off her mouth. “Hotch?” She was swaying from side to side unconsciously and her eyelids felt heavy. </p><p>The paramedic handed her a bottle of water and turned to Hotch. “She’s been on the oxygen for ten minutes, her vitals are stable but she will need to go to the hospital. Probable concussion”</p><p>“I understand, thank you.” He said to the paramedic before turning to Prentiss. “Where’s Spencer?” He asked, not catching the slip up with using his first name, but Emily seemed too disorientated to notice. </p><p>Her response was slurred and Hotch was sure he must have misunderstood what she said. “The library.” She was too dazed and discombobulated to answer any questions, he stepped back and let the paramedic guide her onto the bed. </p><p>The unit chief bit his lip and stepped back. “I’ll meet you at the hospital.” He called out to her as the doors to the ambulance closed. </p><p>SSA Matt Simmons tapped him on the shoulder, Hotch turned to see the grim look on the agent’s face. That couldn’t be a good sign. “I spoke with some officers that were outside during the time of the explosion.” He explained slowly, Hotch nodded and drew his lips into a thin line. “Maxime Rousseau told them there was a bomb rigged to go off, but the clock on the wall of the interrogation room was thirty minutes fast. They had less time than they thought, evacuation had barely started.”</p><p>“W-Where was the device?” Hotch questioned, trying not to let his worry show as he scanned the scene around them, still unable to find Spencer.</p><p>“The officer said he heard Reid and Prentiss mention the library in GenPop, but he didn’t heard anything else before Evac started.” <br/>The library. Prentiss said that Spencer was in the library, where the bomb had gone off. From the look on Matt’s face, he had also heard her. </p><p>First responders were still making their way through the burning wreckage, injured prisoners and workers were being pulled out every few minutes. The rational part of Aaron’s mind told him that all he could do was sit and wait until they found Spencer. He couldn’t join the search and rescue team like Garrett and Seger had, he wasn’t in the right state of mind to. </p><p>Matt placed his hand on Hotch’s shoulder. “You should call your team, let them know.”</p><p>Hotch nodded and hastily pulled his phone from his trouser pocket, hitting Rossi’s speed dial. He was not surprised when Dave picked up after half a ring. “Aaron, are you there yet?” Rossi asked immediately. </p><p>He could heard the others in the background. They were probably all gathered around the table in the briefing room waiting for any and all updates. “We just arrived. It’s- It’s bad.” He admitted, his voice shaking just a little. “I talked to Emily before she was taken to the hospital. She’s okay, concussion and smoke inhalation but the E.M.T. said her vitals were stable.”</p><p>The sighs of relief were audible from the other end of the line, even over the sound of hectic bustle and sirens around him. “What about Spencer?” Rossi asked worriedly. </p><p>His breath caught in his throat. “They haven’t found him yet.” He all but whimpered as he spoke. “He- I think he was close to the explosion.” </p><p>The silence was devastating. All the agents in their own form of shock, trying to comprehend what was happening. The phone was shaking in Aaron’s hand as he focused all hit attention on not breaking down on front of everybody, both at the scene and on the call. </p><p>It was Rossi’s steady voice that broke through the deafening silence. “Thank you for calling. Let us know as soon as you hear anything more.”</p><p>“I will.” Hotch croaked out through his ragged breaths. Before the call disconnected, he heard Dave wish him well. Whatever it was about that short sentence, Hotch didn’t know. But it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Tears were streaming down his cheeks faster than he could stop them. </p><p>By his side, Matt barely hesitated as he pulled the unit chief into a hug and shushed him soothingly. It was similar to how Aaron comforted Jack when he was upset after he would fall and scrape his knee. The I.R.T. agent probably did the same for his own young children at home, but now here he was embracing the older agent the same way as he wished for his boyfriend to be okay. </p><p>The guilt consumed him greedily. He had been the one to send Spencer to Paris in the first place, and now his future remained uncertain as the firefighters combatted the flames and smoke in search of survivors.  </p><p>-</p><p>It seemed like a lifetime of waiting, but less than ten minutes later Aaron watched as Jack Garrett and an E.M.T rushed out of the slowly dying inferno. Between them they carried the weight of a burned and bloodied, slender young man. </p><p>Nothing had really registered to Hotch after the tears began to fall. Matt was still standing by his side shaking with anxiety and unrest. When the three men crumpled against the back of an open ambulance, Matt shook Aaron out of his hazy presence and pointed toward the vehicle. Hotch was sprinting before words had formed on his lips. </p><p>It was a sight that Aaron had never wanted to see. Spencer’s eyes were shut and his chest barely rising under his singed and blackened clothing. There was dried blood smeared along his neck and tangled in his heat frazzled hair. He was so focused on Spencer’s unresponsiveness that he almost missed the deep wound on his thigh. </p><p>The E.M.T.’s were articulating information between each other rapidly that Hotch couldn’t comprehend. He felt somebody push against his back as pieces of the conversation started to filter through his ears. “Get in the back, Hotch.” It was Jack. </p><p>He looked confusedly between Jack and the paramedic in the ambulance. “Are you coming?” They asked pointedly, in a tone that demanded an answer. </p><p>In response he climbed up the step, stumbling caused by his own hurry and fell into the paramedic’s arms. The E.M.T. placed Aaron down on the bench across from Spencer’s barely conscious body as Jack closed the ambulance doors and the vehicle started to accelerate. </p><p>The whirl of the sirens felt worlds away as he watched the perfectly calm and professional medic connect Spencer to a heart monitor and an IV drip. He was handed a bottle of water at some point during the journey and he’d been clenching it in his fingers since. “Can you- um. Please make sure nobody gives him opioid pain killers.”</p><p>The paramedic nodded as they scribbled hastily on a clipboard. “I’ll highlight it on the file, sir. Can you answer some questions about him for me? It will help the staff at the hospital once we arrive.” </p><p>Aaron nodded quickly and listened attentively as they asked questions about Spencer’s medical history. It was all information that Hotch knew, as unit chief it was important (for situations like this) that he was aware of any and all medical details of all his team members. </p><p>When they were two minutes from the hospital, the E.M.T. replaced his bloodied latex gloves with a clean pair and leaned across to look at Hotch as he spoke softly. “The doctors are going to take him right into surgery. He is stable for now, but he was knocked unconscious from the explosion and there is shrapnel in his leg. I’ve stopped the bleeding to the back of his head.”</p><p>“How long will he be in surgery?” Hotch barely heard the words leave his mouth as he starred back at the E.M.T.</p><p>They shook their head. “I’m not a surgeon, I honestly couldn’t give an estimation.”</p><p>Hotch nodded and fell back against the wall of the ambulance, feeling it slow to a halt when they arrived at the hospital. He followed the E.M.T.’s instructions and waited until the trauma nurses came to take the gurney from the vehicle before he followed them out. He watched as the man he loved was wheeled away down the busy corridor by medical personnel in surgical blue uniforms.  </p><p>He looked up to the sky and pleaded with the God he had lost faith in to keep Spencer alive.</p>
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